Japanese-style painter Shimomura Kanzan (1873-1930) was born into a family of Noh performers who served the Kii Tokugawa clan for generations. After studying under Hashimoto Gaho, he enrolled as a first-year student at Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko (now Tokyo University of the Arts). After graduation, he taught at the school, but resigned along with the principal, Okakura Tenshin, and joined in the founding of the Nihon Bijutsu-in (Japan Art Institute).

For the first time in thirteen years in the Kanto region, this retrospective presents 150 works illustrating the trajectory of Kanzan, who mastered the techniques of the Kano school and yamato-e painting to emerge as a rising star at a young age, then gained an international perspective through two years of study in Britain, ultimately growing into a leading figure in the art world. From there emerges the image of his dedicated efforts, working alongside his close allies such as Yokoyama Taikan and Hishida Shunso, to pioneer a style of painting befitting the new era of the Meiji period (1868–1912).

In addition, the exhibition explores the appeal of his art from various angles, including his research on old Japanese paintings and Chinese art, his creations centered on Noh—which represents his origins—and his salon-like network with political and financial figures of the time. This approach will reveal how the artist, confronting the state of painting as the era moved from Meiji to Taisho, pursued paintings that lived alongside the individuals who held them—and by extension, society—independently of art as a means of self-expression.

＊Please note that some artworks may be rotated during the exhibition period. 
Display period: 3/17-5/10, 3/17-4/12, 4/14-5/10, 4/14-4/26 and 4/28-5/10